Rookies Graduate Academy and Join Southlake Police

On July 27th, a 23-week long journey through classrooms, physical training, and Taser-ings finally came to an end for Officers Randall Harp and Trey Harris, as they graduated from the NCTCOG (North Central Texas Council of Governments) Police Academy in Arlington, Texas.

Officer Harp previously served in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Infantryman, and was stationed in Vicenza, Italy for four years and in Fayetteville, North Carolina for another three years before discharging. His spouse, who he met in Italy, found subtle nuances here in Southlake in the architecture, outdoor patios, small coffee shops and the small town neighborhood feel which reminded her of where she grew up. Our fair town was like a home away from home for them. They were thrilled when they saw Southlake was hiring back in February. Officer Harp is most excited about interacting with the citizens of Southlake and is aware of the level of trust bestowed upon him and law enforcement in general.

Officer Harris came to Southlake Police from the Marine Corps, where he served for five years. After discharging, he went to college at the University of North Texas and received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Criminalistics. Like many officers, he thinks the beauty of a job in policing is that there is no such thing as an “average day.” Officer Harris was also voted by his academy peers to serve as the Class Vice President.

“When I used to think of what the police academy would be, I thought of all the fun stuff like driving patrol vehicles, qualifying on the gun range, and learning how to properly deal with a suspect,” he said. “What I think the public isn’t aware of is the grueling tasks of learning the numerous laws and regulations that you have to learn in order to be a great police officer.”

Both officers have the full support of their families and are excited to join our Southlake family as well. They will begin their FTO (Field Training Officer) phase immediately.